


Wedding Bells

by magnusbicon



Series: tumblr prompts [36]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e12 Malec, Established Relationship, Fluff, Immortal Husbands, Introspection, M/M, Mutual Pining, Weddings, later of course, soft fiancés
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14197182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusbicon/pseuds/magnusbicon
Summary: malec + wedding introspection





	Wedding Bells

Before: Magnus

_ “Someday, someone will come along who will tear down those walls you’ve built around your heart, and when that love comes back to you, you must do everything in your power to fight for it.”  _

Magnus replayed the words over and over in his head as he buttoned his black shirt all the way up to his throat, his fingers shaking slightly as he tried not to think about what he was going to do. Because in all of the centuries that he had been alive, he had never done something like this before. This was dangerous, the swift lighting of a match that would more than likely send his heart up in flames, but those words wouldn’t leave him be every time he tried to talk himself out of it. He was no fool. He knew he probably wouldn’t come out of this in one piece, but he had to try. If not for himself, then he had to do it for Ragnor.

Ragnor Fell was the one person who had stayed with him through everything from the very beginning. He was the one who urged Magnus onto the right path when he started to stray, and taught him that there was more to his life than partying and indulgences. It was not a common way of thinking among those who were immortal. Magnus had witnessed that himself when he had been with Camille. She was wild, uncaring about the damage she left behind as long as she was entertained in the moment. No one could tame her, and Magnus had been a fool for ever assuming otherwise.

_ “Even in death, you give the best advice.” _

He had never spoken words more true. For a long time he had considered Camille to be his rock, the person that always ended up being there for him when his life fell apart, but when the smoke cleared and he was no longer blinded by her manipulation, he had realized how wrong he was. Ragnor was his rock. Ragnor was his best friend.

Ragnor was dead.

The fact was a physical ache in his chest, weighing him down and slowing his movements. He could feel the seconds on the clock ticking by, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to rush through the process of getting ready. Everything felt so foreign now that Ragnor was gone, but this was familiar. The wave of magic that swept his hair up, leaving red streaks in its wake. The drag of eyeliner across his lids. The careful selection of his outfit. 

None of these things calmed him in the slightest, and yet they were still an anchor, reminding him that at the end of the day he could always come back to this, and maybe a bottle of whiskey if things didn’t go his way. He had done much more daunting things in his life, and this aspect of his personality had never changed. 

He stared at himself in the mirror once he was done, letting his glamour drop for a moment as he took a deep breath. He remembered the way Alec’s hand had fit into his when he offered his strength, his long fingers wrapping around Magnus’ own and transferring not only energy, but a spark that hadn’t stopped lighting Magnus up from the inside since. He couldn’t throw away his last opportunity to save that connection. He said he wouldn’t ask again, and he wouldn’t. 

He was hoping he wouldn’t have to.

 

Before: Alec

Alec felt numb as he shrugged on his suit jacket, avoiding his own eyes in the mirror that he had been pushed in front of once he was dressed. Isabelle was hovering along with several helpers, but he couldn’t bring himself to engage in any conversation with them. He wasn’t panicking, exactly, but his lungs felt a little bit shallow whenever he took a breath, and he couldn’t quite stand still. He could feel his sister’s eyes on him, tracking his every move and expression, and he wished that he could disappear for just a few moments. He needed a break, just a moment to think. 

He wasn’t going to change his mind. He  _ wasn’t _ .

_ This was his duty, the only way to fix what was broken _ . 

The words had turned into a mantra, a chant in his mind every time he let a sliver of doubt slip through. But no matter how much his thoughts tried to overlap one another and drown out his worries, some still managed to wiggle their way through the cracks, and he knew. 

He knew deep down that he was drowning, that it would get worse the second that rune was burned into his hand forever. He knew that he would try day in and day out to look at Lydia and feel something, and that he would fail miserably. He knew that every time he closed his eyes and tried to sleep at night he’d see disappointed and hurt brown eyes lined with black staring back at him. He knew that he would never be content.

He wondered over and over again if it would pay off, if his parents’ approval or his job was worth dying inside. He couldn’t really find an answer that left him with a good solution, because he knew there really only was one. 

No.

It didn’t matter, though, because he was already there. It was happening. He was in the suit and he was about to stand on that altar and hand off every last ounce of who he was. It was his choice, and he had to live with it. 

He closed his eyes for a moment and let those brown ones enter his mind one last time, memorizing the way they shined when Magnus smiled, and how the skin crinkled next to them during their conversations. He let himself picture the sway of Magnus’ shoulders, the deliberate twirling of his fingers as he used magic and the careful tracing around the tip of his glass when he was thinking. Alec’s heart raced just from the memories, and he let out a sigh, opening his eyes and banishing those thoughts away. He finally met his own gaze in the mirror, wide hazel eyes meeting their equals, and this time he couldn’t look away. 

He clasped his hands behind his back, stood up straight, and hoped for a miracle. 

 

After

“Cold feet?” A teasing voice sounded from the doorway, immediately causing a wide grin to spread across Alec’s face. He turned, his eyes immediately taking in his fiancé’s appearance. 

A wave of blue magic traveled the distance between them and fixed Alec’s bowtie, which he had left crooked when Magnus had walked into the room. He smiled appreciatively and watched as Magnus stepped toward him, not taking his eyes off of him as he walked forward. He looked as elegant as ever, smooth, calculated movements earning Alec’s complete attention. Gold liner framed those deep brown eyes he loved so much, matching the details on his suit, and Alec was sure that he would never stop falling for Magnus. It was an endless tumble, but he never felt dizzy. 

“On the contrary,” Alec replied, leaning back into Magnus’ chest as he pressed close behind him, “it just got very hot in here.” 

Magnus tucked his face into Alec’s neck at that, a beautiful laugh ringing from his throat, and Alec took in every second. He refused to forget anything from this day. There were so many memories he still needed to flush out of his brain, but every second with Magnus was a step in the right direction. The breath and soft lips against his skin, the unmatched power that sat dormant in every muscle, the stubble that framed his mouth. It was all so much, and not nearly enough. 

“Isn’t this bad luck or something?” Alec questioned, even as he leaned even closer. 

Magnus hummed, his head tilting as his lips curled up at the corners. “I think we’ve already had enough bad luck to last a lifetime.”

They stared into the mirror for a few moments, taking in each other as well as the image of them together, dressed in wedding attire after so many years of obstacles and hardships. It was a surreal moment, one they were both desperate to cling to for as long as possible. 

“Good thing we have all the time in the world to turn things around,” Alec murmured, unable to resist the urge to turn his head and kiss him. Magnus leaned into it, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were breaking all of the rules. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. 

“Good thing,” Magnus echoed, and Alec closed his eyes in an attempt to dial back the affection surging through every bone in his body. 

This time he didn’t have to worry about giving up everything he wanted. This time he was taking. There were no more questions to be asked, and no more miracles to hope for. There was only them, their grins and their intertwined fingers and their kisses shared in front of everyone they loved. 

They fought for it and they won. 

It was _their night_. 

**Author's Note:**

> come visit me on tumblr at magnusbicon!


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